A Day With Mary at Chimes Delaware
There’s no denying it: Mary is a fan favorite at Chimes Delaware’s Day Program.
The creative, energetic grandmother of 23 (yes, you read that right!) comes to work every day ready to help her clients at Chimes Delaware have a more meaningful day.
Since arriving at Chimes five years ago, Mary has spearheaded numerous fun and empowering activities for our Day Program participants. She started a sewing class. She loves facilitating arts and crafts programs: “It gives me joy to teach our clients and to see the satisfaction they get from completing a creative task.”
On any given day, Mary’s clients arrive in the morning, after which she gathers participants for a group activity. Later in the day, groups break off and go to different vocational or life skills areas in the building.
Chimes Delaware has a mock hotel room, where Mary has taught one of her clients, who uses a wheelchair, to vacuum. “He takes pride in doing a good job,” she tells us. The facility’s laundry and kitchen areas do double duty—helping people gain valuable job skills while also learning how they might live independently.
What inspires Mary to serve people with developmental disabilities? Again, it’s her grandchildren, some of whom have ADHD. “That drives my passion for this work,” Mary says. “Everyone has something to offer. We need to help the people we serve integrate into their communities, and I enjoy taking our clients on outings to do just that.”
